Something historic happened in Douala, Cameroon, on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, when Enugu Air touched down at Douala International Airport on its maiden international flight, opening a direct air bridge between South-East Nigeria and Central Africa.
The arrival marked a new chapter in the relationship between Enugu and Cameroon, bringing together Nigerian and Cameroonian officials, aviation stakeholders, business leaders and members of the Nigerian community in Douala, who witnessed the launch of a route expected to deepen trade, tourism, investment and people-to-people exchanges.
Representing Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, Secretary to the State Government, Professor Chidiebere Onyia, said the new international route was a product of the Governor’s deliberate vision to reposition Enugu as an economic and tourism hub.
Onyia said Mbah had set a target of attracting three million visitors to Enugu annually, making improved accessibility and a conducive business environment essential to achieving the objective.
“Enugu Air is a product of that vision,” he said, adding that the direct connection would strengthen tourism, commerce, sports and cultural exchanges between Enugu and Cameroon.
Onyia said travellers could now leave Douala and arrive in Enugu in about an hour, while Nigerians in Enugu could equally access the economic and commercial opportunities in Cameroon. He also assured that the service would be sustained, stressing that “Enugu Air is consistent” and would not be launched only to be discontinued.
The Governor of Cameroon’s Littoral Region, Samuel Dieudonné Ivaha Diboua, described the arrival as the beginning of a fresh partnership between Cameroon and Enugu State.
Diboua recalled the longstanding relationship between Enugu and Cameroon, particularly through sports, but said the direct flight had created a new opportunity for stronger economic cooperation.
He noted that many Nigerian businessmen live and operate in Douala, adding that the new connection would make it easier to move people and goods between both sides. “With these new flights, we think that the economy will grow,” he said.
The Director of Douala International Airport, Jacob Bahayang Mbargaso, described the inaugural flight as an event of “triple significance”—diplomatic, economic and commercial.
Mbargaso said the flight was the outcome of collaboration between Cameroon Airports, the Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority, ASECNA, Enugu Air and other aviation partners, describing Enugu Air’s arrival as a mark of confidence in Douala’s growing role as a gateway and Central African hub.
He disclosed that Douala International Airport recorded 8,500 aircraft movements, 595,971 passengers and 6,200 tonnes of freight in the first half of 2026, while Enugu Air became the airport’s 20th regular airline for the Summer 2026 season. “Aviation indeed constitutes a powerful lever for regional integration,” he said.
The Nigerian High Commissioner to Cameroon, Sani Umar Jibrilla, said the occasion was “more than the arrival of an aircraft on Cameroon soil,” describing it as the beginning of a new chapter in the relationship between Nigeria and Cameroon.
Jibrilla said the Enugu-Douala connection would be particularly significant for traders and entrepreneurs from South-East Nigeria, providing a faster and more structured link to one of Central Africa’s major commercial centres.
He said the route would also facilitate business, tourism and cultural exchanges while strengthening African integration, commending Enugu Air and the Cameroonian authorities for making the connection possible.
For Enugu Air’s Chief Executive Officer, Captain Tolu Ita, the landing was evidence that the airline’s ambitious expansion plans were moving rapidly into reality.
Ita disclosed that Enugu Air joined the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) within six months, despite the association’s usual one-year expectation, saying its performance had attracted recognition.
She assured passengers that the airline was committed to sustaining the Douala service. “We are not like one of the airlines that will start and stop,” Ita said. “We go and we see and we are committed to make sure that this connectivity that we promised today continues.”
For Lady Love Arum, an Enugu indigene who has lived in Douala for more than 16 years, the flight represented the end of years of difficult journeys home.
Arum said residents previously travelled by road or routed their journeys through Lagos, making trips particularly stressful for families.
“I am so happy. We are blessed,” she said, adding that residents could now travel home with their children “without fear of bad roads or bandits.”
She said she initially doubted that the direct flight would become a reality until she witnessed Enugu Air’s arrival, praising Governor Mbah for making what she considered impossible possible.
The Enugu delegation included the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Osinachi Njeze; Commissioner for Information, Dr. Malachy Agbo; Commissioner for Tourism, Dame Ugochi Madueke; the Commissioner for Finance; and leading private-sector real estate developer, Dr. Ugo Chime, among other officials.
The historic landing marked Enugu Air’s first international operation and established a direct aviation link between South-East Nigeria and Cameroon—turning what was once a long, circuitous journey into a direct flight and opening a new chapter in the movement of people, goods, business and opportunities between the two countries.
